Even socially distanced, Raiders grateful for signing ceremony

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Socially distanced signing ceremonies have become quite popular lately across the country.

Savannah Christian joined the trend on Friday with four student-athletes signing national letters of intent surrounded by just their families.

“It didn’t matter if I was in a basement or a crowd full of people," says Nate Moon, who signed to play football at Georgia Tech as a preferred walk on. "The fact is I know what I accomplished and this moment signifies that.”

Moon and his family didn’t let the pandemic get them down Friday, celebrating their future Yellow Jacket. Besides the traditional signing day hat and attire, the Moon family even donned Georgia Tech masks.

Now he’s headed to play at Brewton-Parker College, something surprising even to him. McCarthy says he didn’t even know if he was going to go to college, and was considering joining the military.

Then the Barons came calling.

“If you would have told me two weeks ago, I was going to go off and play college soccer, I would have told you probably not," McCarthy says. "But God’s been working on my heart, and he made Brewton-Parker open.”

Savannah Christian's Grady Koppock will run track and cross country at Presbyterian College. (Source: WTOC)

Friday should have been the day Raider runner Grady Koppock competed for a state track and field title.

Instead, Koppock inked his NLI to run track and cross country at Presbyterian College. The future member of the Blue Hose says this day was for everyone who helped him reach this point.

“My parents, this school, everybody that’s ever been around me pushed me, and it’s paid off,” Koppock says. "To be able to do something like this is just really special. It’s just a great honor.”

Savannah Christian football standout Chase Beard will play football at Saint Vincent College. (Source: WTOC)

Raider linebacker Chase Beard is off to play football at Saint Vincent College. The future Bearcat says Friday was much different than he ever anticipated but he wasn’t going to let coronavirus keep him and his family from enjoying what it was.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I believe things happen for a reason," Beard says. "So I’m just truly grateful for this moment with my family.”

There was no cake. There were no balloons. Outside of a school livestream, there was no entire school body watching and cheering. But for these athletes, it was still their time to be recognized.

Moon says that’s because today wasn’t about who was celebrating, but what they were celebrating.

This moment was just encapsulating of all I’ve done and all I’ve accomplished," Moon says. "Even just sitting up there with my family and like 20 people in the gym, I still felt emotional about being able to have this opportunity.”

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